N Black Son

Details: Published: 01 January 2020; Hits: 2152

N. BLACK & SON

Outstanding Flying into Ireland

In the 2011 season N. Black & Son have won seven major trophies with the I.N.F.C. and they have a also been runner up for several more. They won the Harkness Rose Bowl for the best two bird average Kings Cup, 8th and 10th Open. This sets a record fourth win of this cup for the partnership and it is all the more remarkable that all four wins have come with two birds in the top ten each time. Only one other fancier has won it twice. Other trophies won are the Ervine Trophy for best average Kings Cup and Friendship National, the President's Cup for best average Kings Cup, Yearling National and two young bird Nationals, the Diamond Trophy for best average Kings Cup, Yearling National and channel young bird National, the A. Darragh Cup for best average Yearling National and Friendship National and the Erwin Trophy for best average in all National races. They have also won a Hall of Fame award for a bird in the prizes in the Kings Cup three times. This is the third time the loft has won a Hall of Fame.

Main racing lofts

The first national was flown from Skibbereen, 237 miles and the loft was 101st, 120th and 197th North Section. The first bird timed was a yearling blue pied hen sent on roundabout. She had a good young bird season last year winning several prizes and was 6th North section Skibbereen winning over £600; she also won her previous race before the National. She was bred by Brandon, Culshaw & Brandon of Rochdale and was one of six young birds which the partnerships swapped with each other.

The second national was the Yearling National flown from Sennen Cove, 299 miles, and here the loft was 91st Open, 107th and 110th Open. The first bird timed was a blue cock sent sitting ten days. He is a grandson of the partnership's 1st and 2nd Kings Cup paired together and is a cousin of the cock which was 8th in the Kings Cup.

The next race was the big one, the Kings Cup flown from Vannes 479 miles and here the loft was 8th, 10th, 51st, 62nd, 102nd and 201st Open. The first bird timed was a two year old blue cock sent on a one day young bird; he was also in the prizes in the Yearling National last year. His sire is a son of the loft's 1st and 2nd Kings Cup paired together and the dam is a half-sister of the partners "Annie Mary", 4th and 8th Open Kings Cup.

Rocky. 8th Open Vannes.

Phoenix I. 10th Open Vannes.

The next national was again from France, St Malo 441 miles and the loft was 3rd, 18th, 19th and 57th Open. The first bird was a three year old blue cock sent feeding a big young bird and starting to notice his hen again. His sire is a son of H. Silcock's "Pinehill Lass", 27th and 35th Kings Cup. The dam is a sister to the sires of the first bird in the Yearling National and the Kings Cup being a daughter of 1st & 2nd Kings Cup.

Stormin Norman. 3rd Open Friendship National 2011

The first of the young bird Nationals was flown from Penzance 296 miles and here the loft was 30th, 58th, 90th and 162nd Open. The first bird timed was a blue check cock raced on darkness and sent on a one day young bird. He is bred out of the loft's best pair of breeders at the moment. The sire is a half brother "Annie Mary", 4th and 8th Kings Cup while the dam is a daughter of "Pinehill Lass", 27th and 35th Kings Cup. They are only three years old but have already bred 10th Kings Cup, 19th Yearling National, 21st young bird National, 30th young bird National and 90th young bird National.

Young Phoenix. 30th Open Penzance YB National.

The last National was flown from Skibbereen, 237 miles and here the loft was 43rd and 55th North Section. The first bird was a blue pied cock sent sitting a one day young bird. This cock was a gift from clubmates and good friends Mr & Mrs Stevenson. His sire was 3rd north section in last year's young bird National from Skibbereen.

The loft was racing 28 darkness young birds and 8 natural young birds, and started the season with 90 old birds. As you can see, the most pleasing thing for the Blacks about the results was the fact that they had good team performances in each national.

It is especially satisfying for the partnership to win the overall averages as they have been runners up several times. Even more satisfying is to be winning with the same family of birds for well on 36 years, with the only selection being the basket. The "99 hen", which was a daughter of the base pair, has been a big influence on the loft; as well as breeding a 7th and 8th Kings Cup she was also the dam of "Drumiller Hill Lad", their Kings Cup winner, a pigeon which has since bred a host of big winners for themselves and others. A son bred a 4th Kings Cup and two Derby winners for T. Marshall and Son, another son bred Ian Gill's 2010 Barcelona Challenge winner, while another son bred M. Maguire & Son's Friendship National winner and yet another son bred H. Silcock's "Pinehill Lass", 27th and 35th Kings Cup. A half-brother, the "77 cock", bred "Mothers Pride", 2nd Open Kings Cup. A full brother to the "77 cock" was the "23 cock". He bred " Annie Mary", 4th and 8th in the Kings Cup and, apart from the winners he is responsible for in their own loft, he is grandsire of D. & J. Caskey's 10th Open Vannes 2010 and is grandsire of B. & M. Gilmore's Gold Award winner with the N.I.P.A , plus 10 other birds to fly France for them. The Gold Award winner is also the sire of 1st section St Malo this year. Other lofts to do well with their birds at the top level are J. King, A. Morgan, J & G O'Hair, Nevin Bros and S. Mullan.

The last two seasons have been their most consistent at the highest level. They have fed basically the same type of mixtures this last 25 years and have set the birds up almost to the day this last 20 years. The two main reasons that they can attribute this extra level to is firstly improved health of the birds through preventative treatments, and the use of supplements and additives which they get from a local supplier called Frazers. They have found these extras allow them to put a lot of extra work into the birds which means that not only are they a lot fitter, but also recover a lot quicker.